Tales of Avalon: The Maid and the Falcon

✧ Chapter 7: The Crown ✧

Penny walked into her room, closed the door, and carefully sat down on the bed.  Almost methodically she reached for a pillow and buried her face in it, but no tears came.

Eventually she heard a sound at the door and looked up in time to see Willow enter, her wings drooping sadly behind her.

"Nothing's changed, Willow." Penny managed, her voice coming out as heavy as her heart.  "All this time, and nothing's changed."

"Lady Penny, please, remember Avalon.  Her people love you and would happily give everything up for you."

Penny sat silently for a moment, then flung her pillow into the air, swirled her finger, and sliced the pillow to ribbons as if with an invisible blade.  As it exploded into a cloud of down, she shook her head, unsatisfied, and turned to look out the window at Crista Magna.

"What good is that?  All those people and not one of them can give me back my mother."

"Lady Penny..."  Willow seemed to be searching for some words of comfort, but Penny doubted there were any.  Finally Willow spoke, but it wasn't comfort she offered.  "People change, Lady Penny.  Perhaps you will be happier if you can let go of who she was."

"I don't want to, Willow!"  Penny whirled like an animal at bay.  "Let go of my own mother?  She was proud of me, Willow!  She loved me!  How can I let go of her?"

"Perhaps it would be better if–"  Willow broke off, seemingly searching for words.  "Lady Penny, your mother that you knew... is dead.  All that's left is the Queen."

Penny nodded.  "I know, but part of me thought, if I could just do this, if I could do it perfectly, maybe...."

"You cannot resurrect the dead, Lady Penny.  No one can."

Penny nodded abruptly and took a shuddering breath.  "You're right, Willow.  As usual."

With a jerk, Penny stood and walked over to the wardrobe.  She opened the door and shook her head at the single, simple green robe that hung there, closing the door on it.  "Sorry, wardrobe.  I need the russet with the slit sleeves."  She opened it again to see a yellow frock with enough lace and bows to satisfy an eight-year-old.  "Yes, I know it makes me look stupid, but I need it.  Queen's orders."  Again she closed the door and opened it; this time, a horrific purple-and-green quilted concoction hung in the wardrobe.  Penny blew out an exasperated sigh.  "Your complaint has been noted.  Now please, don't make this any harder than it has to be."  This time, when she opened the wardrobe door, the requested dress hung before her, along with a simple white cloak and blue pin.  "Thank you."

Penny turned around and handed Willow the clothing, but then she paused and took back the dress, feeling odd.  Something was wrong.

"Willow, close the windows."

While her lady in waiting drew the curtains over the windows and ensured the door was locked, Penny traced her fingers over the seams of the russet dress, unsure if what she thought she felt was really there and, if it was, how long it had been there.  She might be paranoid; after all, she'd worn this before and nothing unusual had happened.  Still, it would be worth checking after this unpleasant dinner was over.

Willow arranged Penny's clothing in a way that, if not perfect, at least made her look as unlike a jaundice patient as possible.  Before pinning up her cloak, Willow turned the stone over in her hands with an odd look on her face, but she shook her head when Penny asked and said "We should discuss this later."  Penny nodded at that, but when Willow pinned the cloak into place Penny sighed in relief as an imperceptible weight fell from her shoulders.

After a moment, she paused, feeling something rustle and rub on her right arm under the sleeve.  When she pulled it out, it turned out to be a scrap of paper with a tiny line of writing down the middle.  As soon as she'd read it, she lit a subtle fire in her palm and burned the note to ash.

"Are you alright, Lady Penny?"  Willow seemed concerned.  Penny's face must have had a terrible look on it.  With an effort, she smiled.

"Yes.  I'm just... I hate playing princess."  It wasn't technically a lie, but Penny still felt guilty as she left the room.  Willow would be waiting patiently for her, but Penny couldn't even tell her what was happening.

The note had been written in thread.  It was the wardrobe's work; there was no doubt of that.  How the wardrobe knew what was happening, she wasn't sure, but she was glad that it confirmed her suspicions.

The words from the note were burned into her mind as she made her way toward the grand staircase to the banquet hall, preparing to face her fears again.

Beware the Queen.

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When Penny arrived at the staircase, she hesitated.  There was a flock of Royal Fey attendants dressed in official robes standing at the bottom, along with the Queen, a bewildered-looking ambassador, and a number of royal officials.

More pageantry?  Penny sighed and walked down the steps.  The Queen's lips twitched again, but Penny ignored her apparent satisfaction.  Willow's words echoed in her mind.  "Your mother is dead.  All that's left is the Queen."  Could she really do this?  Cut off her memories, treat the woman she longed to see as a beloved mother who died in the Neithe war?  How could she even consider it?  And yet it sank into her mind.

"Ah, here she is.  May I introduce my beloved daughter, Princess Lily de Avalon."  The Queen's voice cut through Penny's thoughts and she looked up with a bright smile.

At the head of the stairs stood a small woman, delicate and graceful, with golden curls adorned with tiny heart shards.  Her eyes found Penny's, and a radiant smile broke across her lovely face.  Penny felt her own smile grow wider in response, and she flipped up two fingers subtly.  Lily's delicate lips parted slightly, but she seemed to remember herself and glide gently down the steps.

After the excitement of seeing Lily, Penny's happiness turned to confusion.  Lily was also dressed in official, royal robes.  Something was happening, and the wardrobe's warning echoed in her mind.

The Queen spoke when Lily had reached the bottom of the staircase.  "I call all present as witness of this ceremony."

"We stand as witness," the nobles and attendants chorused.

"Princess Lily de Avalon, do you swear to uphold justice and honor, to act faithfully, and to give your all to Avalon and to her people?"

Lily's round green eyes showed a trace of panic and confusion, but she smoothly covered it and answered, "I do so swear."

"Do you swear to make your every decision for the good of all peoples of Avalon, of human and of magical blood, so long as you shall live?"

"I do so swear."

Penny covered her mouth.  This was a hastily arranged coronation ceremony.  Lily was being made Crown Princess; the Queen was taking Penny's position and handing it to the favorite daughter.  Was this what the wardrobe had meant?

"Do you swear to cast out the corrupt and the cruel and to enforce the rights of the poor and the weak?"

"I do so swear."

The Queen nodded with a smile and took a small circlet studded with heart shards from one of her attendants.

"Then as Queen of Avalon, I do hereby name you Crown Princess, heir to the throne of Avalon.  May your joy be full and your sorrow empty."  And she set the circlet on Lily's head.

Lily stood, her eyes wide.  They sought Penny's and suddenly those clear, gold-rimmed eyes were swimming in tears.  Penny shook her head slightly and made a gesture to wait.

"I thank you all for witnessing the transfer of this office from the Champion of Avalon to the Crown Princess.  My hospitality has been lacking, and you have waited long.  Let me remedy this fault, and may you be refreshed at the feast."

And with that, the entire entourage flocked into the banquet hall to celebrate Lily's coronation.